The Vampire's Miko
by C.Reverie
Summary: Kagome has lived for the past five hundred years, forever frozen at age fifteen due to becoming the host of the Shikon Jewel. No matter the time that passed her by, the taste of immortality still seemed foreign on her tongue. To her dismay, things went downhill for her when she managed to capture the interest of an unpredictable vampire.
1. Chapter 1

**_Summary: Kagome has lived for the past five hundred years, forever frozen at age fifteen due to becoming the host of the Shikon Jewel. No matter the time that passed her by, the taste of immortality still seemed foreign on her tongue. To her dismay, things went downhill for her when she managed to capture the interest of an unpredictable vampire._**

_Pairing: Ferid Bathory x Kagome Higurashi._

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owner.

* * *

Prologue

* * *

The chill in the air was cold and crisp, and each breath she managed appeared in the space in front of her in a foggy, white mist. She left behind a trail of small footprints in the snow as she walked, the cold surrounding her feet have little effect on her overall condition. Blue eyes continued to sweep over the area, unblinking and holding a warmth that was almost unnatural in the frigid air of winter.

Not far ahead of her were her companions, and she attempted to move a bit faster through the snow as to not fall too far behind them. A gust of wind whirled around her, and, if not for her hair tie, her inky tresses would have become a tangled mess.

Precise, blue eyes caught movement in the distance ahead of them, and she came to a brief halt before calling out and informing those who trekked through the snowfall with her.

"Up ahead," she spoke in a soft voice, but her words reached each one with her, and she steadily moved more to the front. "There's just one."

When she came to a halt, she stood in front of a figure not much shorter than herself. Green eyes met her blue ones, and her expression softened upon spotting the blood covering the white clothing the boy ahead of her was dressed in. While she was tempted to extend a hand to him, she refrained from doing so. Much to her surprise, he ended up approaching her before she could say so much as a single word, his arms going around her hips and his face pressing into the center of her chest.

This boy was cold under her fingertips, and a frown worked its way onto her face. She wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could in hopes she could transfer more of her own warmth to him. Her blouse soon began to grow damp under the influence of the tears leaking from his eyes, and she held him much like a mother would hold her own child.

Consoling a crying child wasn't a foreign action to her, and she closed her eyes and let him cling onto her with all the strength he could manage. She didn't have it in her to push him away, and, instead, she trailed her fingers through his hair.

"Kagome."

The dark-haired female merely glanced up at hearing her name get called, and she watched the figure of one of her companions approach her. Her eyes met purple and she soon went on to ignore him further as she held onto the child clinging to her.

She decided at that moment that whatever needed to be said could be put on hold until the tears he cried came to a halt.

* * *

C.R: I'll be editing the other chapters a little bit.

Pairing decision is final, but there might be some side-shipping. Just depends.

Ah, I think that is all for now…. I hope you all enjoyed!

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~


	2. Chapter 2

**_Summary: Kagome has lived for the past five hundred years, forever frozen at age fifteen due to becoming the host of the Shikon Jewel. No matter the time that passed her by, the taste of immortality still seemed foreign on her tongue. To her dismay, things went downhill for her when she managed to capture the interest of an unpredictable vampire._**

_Pairing: Ferid Bathory x Kagome Higurashi._

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owner.

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

It felt as though it had been eons since someone had last depended on her like this child did. Kagome sat with the boy resting halfway in her lap. He wasn't able to fully sit in it, due to the fact she wasn't much taller than him to start off with, but he was as close as possible. He felt tense as he fell deeper into a pit of rest, and she kept her arms around him in an attempt to provide him with some form of comfort and a solid sense of security.

She continued to comb her fingers through his dark hair as she hummed a soothing tune in his ear. The figure standing behind her watched her do what she did, but she only began paying attention to him when he stepped closer to her.

"If you want me to leave then that is out of the question, Guren," she stated in a firm tone. Her words dismissed anything remotely close to that, and she once more focused the most of her attention on the boy against her chest. A small smile curved her lips upwards when he nuzzled more into her.

It was almost ridiculous how much this boy brought her memories of both Souta and Shippo back to her mind. Perhaps she was being selfish in her insistence to keep holding onto him, and she attempted to tell herself that, should he want her to let go and leave him alone, then that was what she would do. Until then, however, she would continue to keep this up.

"He's not much younger than your brother was, is he?"

Kagome froze at the comment, and she turned her attention down to the floor at her side. There was a small nod of her head, but no vocal response came from her. Guren stood next to her, but she refused to look up and meet his stare.

"I know I shouldn't interfere much, but he's… he's just a child. I can't just sit back and do nothing. If he needs me, then he needs me." There was a hint of stubbornness in her voice, and she appeared to be unwilling to take any outside form of consideration on her already made up mind. She turned a cold glare up at Guren at last, and a sheen of unwavering decisiveness shown in her eyes.

There was nothing that he, or anyone else, could say to change her mind or alter her decision. Once more she turned away from the man standing beside her, and she focused her attention entirely on the boy she held.

* * *

He had frequent nightmares, and, during those moments, she was the most common one to comfort him. It almost became a custom for him to run to her arms as soon as she made herself present in the room he slept in.

She'd hold him as close as he wanted to be held, and she would occasionally rock back and forth with him held to her chest.

"I had a younger brother," she started to tell him one night. He had woken up due to his recurring nightmare, and, as they both laid underneath the blankets, she began to tell him of a part of her old life. His head rested on the swell of her breasts as he listened to the combination of her heartbeat and her voice. His arms draped over her, and his hands tangled in the material of her sleep clothes. When he looked up, he could see the hint of a smile lining her lips under the pale glow of the moon peeking in through the window.

"I've never told you of him. At least, not directly," she spoke again and turned her attention so she was looking out the window and up at the crescent moon resting in the sky, high above the world. "You remind me of him, Yuichiro." No longer was she talking to him, but she was now talking at him. She held him closer and felt her smile grow a fraction more. "You have a good heart," she commented, the phrase itself coming of as off-handed. "While it is okay to experience the emotion known as guilt over what happened, you need to understand that it isn't okay to let it brood forever and take hold of your heart. The human heart is capable of experiencing so many different emotions, so do not let it remain hung up on one negative one."

"You're human," Yuichiro finally responded, his words muffled slightly due to how his cheek was pressed against the woman he laid next to. "It's kinda weird to hear you talking about it like that."

Her smiled wavered a bit, and not long after her shoulders began to shake with a silent laugh.

Was she really considered a human still? No human should live for an eternity. It just wasn't right, and she doubted it ever would be.

For the past five hundred years she had remained as she was, and she would stay as she was for the next five hundred years.

"Try to get some rest, Yu-kun," she stated then, pushing back everything they had been talking about as she let a soothing aura float around the two of them. "You have nothing to concern yourself with. I will remain at your side for as long as you need me to. I'll keep you safe."

She knew saying those words were easier than him actually doing so. His frequent nightmares did get to him, but she would do her best to ensure that he got enough rest. Kagome resumed running her fingers through his hair, the action slowly but surely lulling him to sleep.

She could tell by his breathing when he had finally fallen back to sleep, but, even then, she didn't bother to try and remove herself from where she had settled down.

Blue eyes remained focused on the form of the moon lighting up the night sky. As late as it was, she found herself to be wide awake, and she took to making sure Yuichiro felt enough comfort to get the rest he was in need of.

* * *

At the jewel's completion, the events pertaining to her that followed afterwards had been both a shock as well as an undesired thing. The worst that she had assumed could happen was her just being forced to return to her rightful time the second the jewel had been made whole once more, but that hadn't been what happened. The exact opposite had seemed to occur, and it had left her struggling to adapt to a life she wasn't even sure she had wanted.

Idealistically, the life she had wanted for herself was the opportunity to go back to her regular school life with her friends from modern time. She would resume with helping her mother with daily chores, and she would spend more free time with her brother, since both of those things had begun to lack since her initial fall down the well. She'd attend a college, and go on with her life as though she was just a normal, human woman, and no one would ever be able to question anything she kept hidden away as fond, yet dangerous memories.

Alas, fate had a different idea for her, and it had been one she was forced to accept.

It wasn't that she hated the life she currently lived, but she still wasn't onboard with everything. She didn't mind her current existence, as she thrived mostly on assisting those who were in need of her help. No matter if they were physically older than her, or physically younger, her nurturing side often shone through on anyone who seemed to be in need of such a side. It wasn't as though it was something she could just bottle down. The strong maternal instinct she felt came as naturally as breathing to her.

Sesshoumaru would often scold her for her caring nature. He'd tell her that her large heart would only end up getting her manipulated with ease. That she'd only end up as a lamb being led to slaughter.

At the thought of her once widely feared demon ally, Kagome felt her mind wander. It had been years since she had last seen much of the canine demon. It wasn't as though she worried much for him, as he was more than capable of surviving on his own for as long as he needed or wanted, but her wonder was more of the curiosity of when they would run into one another next.

Kagome sat on her own on a wooden bench, her legs crossed underneath her, as she finally pulled herself form the recesses of her mind. Her eyes landed on the body of Yuichiro, and the soft smile present on her face widened a bit more.

"Your stance is exceptional, Yu-kun," she told him from where she had placed herself, and she saw how his face twisted a bit in pride at her honest compliment.

Once again, the boy was practicing with his sword, and, this time, she had opted to sit and watch him.

"I'm so proud of how much you've improved over these years."

Yu turned his full attention to the girl sitting on the bench, and he shoved his blade back into its sheath before walking over and joining her.

Despite the four years that had passed since he had first met her upon his escape as livestock, the tiny female had hardly changed at all. She still looked as youthful as ever, but it had never been anything he had bothered to question.

The idea of questioning her felt odd to him, as their bond had very quickly became something that meant a lot of him, but his own desire to have an answer was what caused him to bring the question up.

"How come you don't age, Kag?"

She blinked her wide, sky blue eyes in mock confusion. A second later she smiled and threw her head back in a chipper laugh. Yu sat in wonder as she did so, and he watched as she readjusted herself on the bench so she now faced him completely as she sat.

"It took you much longer than I thought it would to bring up that question. Why, Guren was beginning to wonder about how much you paid attention to details."

"Hey…" he glared at her at hearing her mocking tone. Yu curled his hand into a loose fist, but, before he could slap her on the back of the head with it, she caught it and wrapped warm fingers around his wrist.

"I'm still classified as a human, in case you were wondering, Yu-kun. There are just… circumstances to my existence as it happens to be."

"Circumstances?"

Kagome nodded. "Don't concern yourself too much with them, though. They aren't bad, but they are inevitable. There is nothing I can do about them."

"Just how old are you, then?"

"Yu-kun! How rude!" Kagome gasped and crossed her arms over her chest in mock offense. "Never ask a lady her age. That's inappropriate."

Yu glared at the woman next to him, even after she turned to look him in his eyes once again. A smile radiated brightly on her face, and she sent a wink in his direction.

"But if you wanna know so bad, I'm fifteen."

"But wait. That means-"

"I was also fifteen when you first met me," Kagome continued as though he hadn't even tried to talk to her. "To be fair, I've been fifteen for a long while already. Those circumstances I mentioned keep me from aging like a human ought to, but I'm still a human anyway you want to look at it. My blood is that of a human's, my heart is that of a human's, and my soul is that of a human's." She fell silent then, and the smile on her face conveyed clear as day that she was done talking about it in that moment. When she flicked her hand in a wave, Yu's glare turned into a look of confusion. "Back at it," she told him.

It took him a second to realize she was talking about his training, and he soon got up from where he sat. As he walked, he was able to hear as she clapped her hands together and laughed once more.

"Go Yu-kun!"

* * *

She looked furious with him, but, despite all that, the small girl standing across from him with her hands on her hips and her feet planted firmly on the concrete did not come off as intimidating.

"Do you have any idea at all how dangerous what you just did was?" Kagome snapped at the teenager standing across from her.

"Things went over fine!"

"That isn't the point, you little brat!"

Finally annoyed and fed up with the direction this conversation had been going in for the past five minutes, Kagome let out a drawled out huff before she took a quick step away from Yu. Not even a second later her foot connected with the side of his head as she kicked him and sent him down on his back against the pavement.

"Acting stupidly will only get you killed!" she resumed shouting at him, and he looked up at her while clutching the side of his head. Not far behind Kagome stood Guren, and he watched on as she continued to lay into him.

"Why'd you kick me!?" Yu yelled back at her as he scrambled back onto his feet. "I just took down that Horseman!"

"I kicked you because, clearly, you need some sense knocked into you!" she screamed back, balling her hands into taut fists as the words flew from her lips. "You were told to back down and run, not to kill the damned thing, you idiot! You would have gotten killed if you somehow ended up messing up on the attack!"

"Hey, hey- there's a simple way to solve all of this," Guren finally said as he stepped in between the fighting teenagers who stood, all but tearing into one another's throats. He brought his fist down on the back of Yu's head. "Arguing about it won't get you anywhere, and I think this decision will be helpful."

Kagome stared up at Guren. Her eyes implored for an answer, but he did not give her a vocal one. He offered her a smile, one she soon returned when she caught the look in his eye.

"Marvelous idea, Guren," Kagome told him as she turned to face Yu, who was, once again, rubbing his head. Only this time it was where Guren had hit him. Yu finally looked up at Kagome, noticing the smile she had on her face. The look she gave him left him with a mildly worried feeling.

"Kagome?"

"Hmph!" She turned on her heel and marched away. "You're on your own right now!"

Yu watched her leave, each step she took seeming to appear as aggressive. At once he was reminded of the force behind her kick, and he once again rubbed his head where she had hit him.

She had a lot of strength when she was angry.

* * *

C.R: I was meaning to get this posted not long after I posted the first chapter. Sorry for the long delay. Did some minor changes to this one.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~


	3. Chapter 3

**_Summary: Kagome has lived for the past five hundred years, forever frozen at age fifteen due to becoming the host of the Shikon Jewel. No matter the time that passed her by, the taste of immortality still seemed foreign on her tongue. To her dismay, things went downhill for her when she managed to capture the interest of an unpredictable vampire._**

_Pairing: Ferid Bathory x Kagome Higurashi. [Might be changed.]_

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Though she was still a little annoyed with Yu's thoughtless actions, Kagome found it oddly silent the following days after his punishment was put into motion. She was so used to having him hang around her that without him she felt a little out of place.

She drummed her fingers along the surface of her desk, chin resting in her other hand. Kagome let out a sigh of boredom and opened her eyes to look up at the clock on the wall opposite her. What was she supposed to do now? She leaned back in her chair and swept her feet up onto her desk, crossing her ankles as she folded her arms behind her head.

Her cursed gear rested against her desk, leaning against it much like an umbrella. She spared it a quick glance and sighed softly under her breath. When she looked back at the clock, she noted the time. The meeting she was supposed to attend was long over by now, and Kagome pushed herself out of her chair. She grabbed her gear and made for the door as she strapped the ancient sword to her hip.

She knew just the thing to do since she was so bored.

There was a hop in her step as she bounded down the hallways she'd walked down hundreds of times now. She came to a halt outside a closed door, and she raised a hand to rap at the wood a few times. Kagome tilted her head to the side when she received no answer, and she let herself in.

Soft blue eyes peered through a crack before she walked fully inside. The person she was searching for was inside, of course.

"Hey, Guren?" Kagome called out as she let the door close behind her. After a moment when he still hadn't answered her, she turned to look closely at him. Her expression deadpanned at seeing him asleep in his chair, feet up on his desk.

Seriously? He didn't even hear her enter?

"I really expect too much out of you," she muttered, arms folded over her chest. Kagome shook her head, an idea coming to her a second later, and a sly grin spread across her face like a wildfire. She crept over to him on silent feet, stopping only when she was beside him. She peered closely at his face, stifling a giggle or two behind her palm.

She quickly scouted a marker from his desk, moving papers aside as silently as she could. The first one she found was bright red, and she wasted no time in popping the cap off of it. "Hmm…" she tapped her chin for a moment before inspiration struck.

She drew a fat red heart smack in the middle of his cheek, very quickly autographing her initials right below it before moving to the other side of his face. She froze before resuming her challenging and risky task. After waiting a minute with bated breath, she quickly drew a smiley face. Kagome replaced the cap on the marker and tossed it back on the desk, pulling her phone from her pocket as she did so. She snapped a quick photo of her handiwork.

"Nice," Kagome hummed and slipped her phone back in her skirt pocket.

She looked him over, another grin appearing on her face as she reached a hand out to him. Her fingers touched the back of his chair, and she slowly put more pressure on it. Her fingertips prodded innocently against the smooth wood, but before she could push any further she was caught.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Kagome froze like a deer in headlights at hearing Guren talk to her. He flicked her in the center of her head as she tried to stammer out a response. Kagome stumbled back a few paces, rubbing the suddenly sore spot on her forehead.

"Hey!" Kagome cried out, whining when he chuckled at her pout.

Before anything could be said, Kagome hopped up on his desk, situating herself and crossing her legs a second after she got comfortable on the wood.

Guren glared at her. "What do you want?" he asked, lifting his feet and placing them back on the desk. The heel of his shoe nearly hit her. She matched his glare with a similar one as she moved her hands onto her lap. She had to swallow the urge to laugh when she looked at him, face still decorated in vibrant red marker.

"What?" She cleared her throat and leaned forward some with a bright smile. "Can't a girl pop in for a quick visit?"

"Not when it's you."

Kagome huffed and looked away from him, turning her attention to the partially opened window. "Wow, rude," she grumbled. Her expression softened when she turned away from him, letting her attention focus on the partially opened window. The curtains covering it swayed as a gentle breeze drifted through the crack, bringing the faint scent of sunshine through the room.

"_It's nice, but nothing like it was back then,"_ she thought as she turned back to Guren. "Surprisingly nice weather today, huh?"

She heard him huff, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Isn't there something that needs your attention, or someone else you can bother?" Guren asked her. "Sounds like you're bored."

"I'm taking a break from my tasks," she said. "Anyway, not like anyone can make me do them if I don't want to…" she trailed off with a soft hum. She fell silent, and Guren looked at her when he realized she'd stopped talking. She sat with her attention down at her lap, the faintest of smiles on her lips. Her eyes were glazed over, as if she was buried in her thoughts, and he found himself wanting to hear what was on her mind. Before he could say anything she shook her head and sighed, brushing those thoughts to the back of her mind.

"Have you checked in with Yu recently?" Kagome asked. Her eyes were bright, and just like that, she seemed to be back to her usual self. "I heard he's not happy with having to attend school."

"Ah, I have Shinoa there to look after him," Guren said.

Kagome nodded. "So, I wanna know too," she said, and Guren looked at her as he waited for her question. "When are you going to let him join the Moon Demon Company?"

"He has to make an actual friend before I have him join," Guren stated as he folded his arms behind his head, "and you don't count."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she hopped off his desk. She smoothed her skirt down and made for the door with a new sense of purpose.

"I think it's a good call," she said. "Yu needs more friends than me, so what better than to give him the motivation to make some more?" Kagome stopped with her hand on the doorknob, turning to look over her shoulder at Guren. "I'm gonna go check up on him! See you around, Guren!"

"Hn." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, ready to resume his nap now that she was on her way out. Her eyes landed on the doodles on his cheeks, and since she had her photo for a keepsake, she figured she'd let him know.

"Oh before I go, you got-"

"Get lost, brat."

Her eyes narrowed and she immediately swallowed her next words. "Nevermind, then," she said, turning her nose up as she left the room. "_Let's see how long before you notice the marker then, jerk!"_

* * *

As she was off trying to hunt Yu down her search was disrupted by the blaring of alarms, and a broadcast over the loudspeakers in the area. She came to a halt mid-step while others around her burst into a panic, racing past her in every direction trying to get to safe ground.

"_**A vampire has escaped from the research facility. Evacuate to safety, and do not engage. Qualified personnel will exterminate the threat. I repeat-"**_

She urged the people around her to the quickest point of safety for them as she took off in the opposite direction. She hunted for the creature, tracking its aura. She followed the invisible path it left behind, hunting for Yu as she went. She couldn't place where he was in the throngs of humans, but she had an inkling where he'd head. Knowing him he'd try to take down the vampire on his own. The only problem was that his sword was only an ordinary one, and it wouldn't be able to kill a vampire no matter where he hit it.

Kagome continued down her path, urging people down the right path as she wove through the mass of running bodies. It wasn't much longer before she felt the simmering sting of the vampire's aura much closer than before. To her dismay, she could feel Yu's right there with it. Both were inside the school, but before she could go in to find him, a familiar figure falling from an upper-story window caught her eye.

She felt it before she realized what it was, a freezing shiver of panic darting down her spine and kicking her into motion when she spotted him in the hands of the pink-haired vampire. A pink glow surrounded her hands, the glow soon melding into the shape of a longbow. A glowing pink arrow appeared along with it, halfway strung on the bow. Kagome took aim and let the arrow soar through the air.

It pierced through the vampire's stomach, and her motions froze as it quickly turned her into a swirl of blazing orange and ash. The remnants of her drifted away just like the wind as Kagome ran over to Yu.

Yu was slow to sit up, still startled by the glowing pink arrow that had been impaled through the vampire that was now nothing more than dust. His eyes landed on the form of Kagome.

He'd never seen anything like it, and he was amazed as the pink glitters faded at last. Had Kagome been the source of the arrow?

"Yu!"

He looked back at her after hearing her shout his name. She quickly closed the distance between them, dropping to her knees once she got next to him. He was about to say something but held his tongue when he saw her looking over him closely, looking for any sign he was hurt. She sat back once she deemed he was fine, resting a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"Why did I _know_ you'd be stupid enough to try and take down a vampire without the right weapon?" she muttered loud enough for him to hear. He glared at her, about to fire a complaint in response, only to lose all the courage he felt at spotting the presence of tears lining her eyes. He wasn't used to seeing her like this, and he didn't know how to react all of a sudden, but he knew he didn't like it. "I was so scared..."

"Kagome I-"

"You need to start thinking about your actions and the consequences they have!" she shouted at him, taking him by surprise. "Stop being such a hard-headed idiot all the time!" Her anger melted as quickly as it had appeared, her tone going soft as she glanced back at her knees and the grass she sat on. Her next words were quiet, almost soft enough for just her to hear. "I don't want to lose you, too…"

Yu found it hard to meet her gaze, and he kept his gaze down even as they clambered back on their feet. He tried to think of something to say, but the only thing he came up with was a one-worded apology.

"... sorry."

He risked a glance at her face to see a small smile now lifting her lips up in a slight curve. It wasn't much, but the single word uttered by him had caused it to appear.

Kagome didn't have time to respond before others joined them there. She turned and looked up at Guren, who stopped behind her. She had to choke back a laugh when she saw he still had the marker on his face. Behind him were the rest of his squad and Shinoa.

"_None of them told him."_ The thought was quick as it raced through her mind, and she quickly turned to regain her composure. She heard Shinoa giggle under her breath, knowing full well why she did what she did. Yu looked at Guren, mouth hanging open at seeing the bright red doodles on his cheeks.

He looked at Kagome next, and the look in her eyes begged him not to say a word.

"You look pathetic," Guren said to him. "What were you thinking, trying to take down a vampire with an ordinary sword? You're lucky Kagome was here to save your ass."

Yu glared at him. "I almost had it covered."

"Is that so?" Guren said as he turned away from Yu. Once again, Shinoa giggled, but he paid her no mind. "Well, regardless of that or not, you did good for a kid. Because of you, we have fewer casualties. You saved your friends at school, huh?"

"I don't care about making friends," Yu muttered indignantly. "Anyway! You saw my skill. I can fight against vampires, so hurry up and let me join the Moon Demon Company, Guren!"

"Nope," Guren said. "Besides, I can't stand guys who don't work as a team."

Those words made Shinoa giggle, and he turned to look at her. "Funny hearing that coming from _you_, when you're the one who has the hardest time working as a team."

"What was that?" Guren glared at her.

"Nothing, nothing~" Shinoa turned, folding her hands behind her back.

"Anyway, it's as I had Shinoa tell you," Guren said as he turned back to face Yu. "I'm not letting you join until you make an actual friend."

"Huh!? But I don't need friends-!" Yu began to shout, only to be cut off by a newcomer.

"You're okay! I'm so glad!" Yoichi cried out as he tried to climb down from the upper level he was on. He lost his footing when he landed, however, and ended up taking Yu down with him when he fell.

Kagome stepped back to be next to Guren and Shinoa. "Who's that?" Kagome asked the girl with lilac hair.

"His friend, apparently," Shinoa said.

"Eh, really?" Kagome cocked her head to the side before looking up at Guren with a smile. " Well, it looks like you gotta uphold your word now, huh Guren."

"Huh!?" Guren looked at Kagome as she said that. "You gotta be joking!"

"Mm nope!" Kagome sang. "Yu's made a friend. That was the qualification you set in place for him."

"C'mon! I never thought he'd actually make a friend."

Yoichi glanced over his shoulder at the group behind him. When his eyes landed on Guren, he cocked his head to the side. "Um… you have marker on your face, Sir."

All fell silent for a moment, and it was like the last bit of restraint she had snapped at hearing it finally get mentioned, and Kagome erupted into a fit of giggles.

"What?" Guren stood confused until Shinoa, barely containing her own laughter, held a compact mirror up for him to look in. At once he knew the one responsible. Guren searched for the short, black-haired girl, not that it was hard to find her. She had nearly fallen to her knees as she laughed.

"You!" He shouted at her with accusation lining his voice, and she tried to reel her laughter back under control.

"Appreciate my artwork?" Kagome asked, a cheeky grin on her face. She didn't have much time before she yelped and took off running from him.

"Eek! Haha, I'm sorry Guren!" Kagome cried as she ran from him. "I had to!"

"Get back here, brat!"

* * *

It was much later in the day when Kagome found herself finally tending to her own responsibilities. There was a comfortable silence in her room as she kept her attention focused mostly on what she was doing.

A knock at the door did little to steal her attention, and she glanced up briefly as she placed who it was.

"Come in," she called out into the emptiness of the room. She listened as the door creaked open, and a familiar figure stepped through the doorway. She offered him a smile, and she lifted a free hand to wave at the blue-eyed man. "Evening, Shinya. You need something?"

"Oh, no," came his response. Not long after saying those words, he held up a folder and offered it to her. "These needed to be given to you, however, so I decided to bring them to you myself. They're from the meeting earlier."

There was a flush of pink that dusted over her cheeks. "Thanks, but you didn't have to bring them to me."

"I don't mind," he told her as he placed what he held into her own hands. She dropped it into a stack with the other papers she had been looking at moments ago. Close to where the papers had been placed was the old sword she would occasionally wield.

He did not leave after giving her what he had brought her, however, and the distant look on her face was picked up by him instantly. Shinya leaned against the desk next to her and crossed his arms. "Something wrong?" he asked her.

Kagome stiffened at hearing his voice, and she began to nibble on her lower lip as she thought on how she should respond. Not long after she came to a decision and shook her head as she turned her back to Shinya. "No, everything's fine," she claimed, deciding to refrain from admitting anything to him, or anyone else.

"I heard you used your spiritual abilities to take down that vampire earlier," he continued to speak, even though she kept her back facing him. "You don't rely on them often due to… well, you know. It wears you out."

"Mm."

"Are you feeling any discomfort due to using them like that?"

"No," she responded honestly.

"Well, something's eating at you," he said. "You can deny it all you want, but I know you enough to tell when you're lying."

Kagome stopped all of her movement at hearing him blatantly say it like that. She set the paper she held down on the desk and turned so she was facing the tall man. To voice her worries… she couldn't think of a way to put them into words that could be expressed and understood vocally.

Kagome shook her head and looked up to meet his stare.

"I mean this in the nicest way possible, Shinya," she started off saying, "but I don't feel up to talking about my problems right now. Not these problems, not now."

"I suppose I understand," he responded. His words brought a smile to her face, and she found herself to be pleased with his understanding. "But, if you want to talk about it, come find me and I'll listen."

Though her smile began to slowly fade from her face, she felt rather content at that moment. She spared him another glance before going back to looking at the papers that called for her full attention.

"... Thank you, Shinya."

* * *

The midnight sky expanding over their bodies encased the world around them in darkness, and the only available light was the silvery glow of the moon amidst the dark blue. Two different figures walked side by side, each one going on to be unbothered by the monsters in their path. Each one was killed the moment it set off in their direction.

"Geez, these things are annoying," Shippo gave a quiet whine as he worked to clear the mess of blood now staining his fingers and claws.

"Indeed," was Sesshoumaru's response. Aqua eyes landed on the form of his companion, and he watched with a bored expression as he stood flicking the remaining blood from his sword. "We need to continue forward before more come in search of us. I'm already tired of dealing with them, and I have no interest in continuing to waste my time on such creatures."

"No complaints from me," Shippo muttered as he pushed himself back up onto his feet. A second later he bounded over to the taller demon. "So Mother has been well?"

"I have not been alerted to anything bothersome, fox."

He rolled his eyes before continuing forward faster than his companion. "Ah, come on then, you old mutt! I wanna see Mother as soon as possible!"

"You must remain behind me."

The redhead turned to level a pout at Sesshoumaru's face. "What difference does it make if I'm in front or behind you? I just wanna see her again!"

"Behind me, fox."

There was a huff that came from him before he relented and fell into step behind the older demon. "... fine."

* * *

C.R: Not sure if I want to keep the pairing Ferid and Kagome or not. Is there any other pairing option you guys would like for Kagome? I've been thinking about it for a while. (Part of the reason why the update took so long, along with other things keeping me from writing.) Anyway, if you have any options for me to consider, feel free to share.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not, sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~


	4. Chapter 4

**_Summary: Kagome has lived for the past five hundred years, forever frozen at age fifteen due to becoming the host of the Shikon Jewel. No matter the time that passed her by, the taste of immortality still seemed foreign on her tongue. To her dismay, things went downhill for her when she managed to capture the interest of an unpredictable vampire._**

_Pairing: Ferid Bathory x Kagome Higurashi. _

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Note:  
Flashbacks are written in bulk _Italics._  
This is also where most of the changes will start, compared to the original version of this story.

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Kagome wasn't sure how late it had gotten by the time she finally settled down in her room for the night. The light from the moon was shining in through her window, and she glanced out into the darkened world with a calm expression. She pushed herself up from her bed and softly padded over to the window, bare feet trekking over the cold hardwood. With a little bit of effort, she raised her window up half-way and a whirl of cold air whizzed past her and blew her hair into disarray. She shivered but didn't close the window, instead she fit her body closer to it and rested her hand in her arms along the sill.

There were no stars visible in the dark sky, the pale, cold beam of the moon seeming to be the only source of light in the night. Her eyes darkened as she kept her stare upwards. She flinched when a sharp burn spread across the side of her neck, and she slowly pushed herself back into a standing position.

She pressed slim digits to the column of her neck, letting the tips faintly press against two silvery scars. They were identical in shape and size, two perfect small dots in the crook of her neck.

"I guess there's not much I can do in this situation, but…" Kagome let her words die softly as she sighed under her breath. "Man, this sucks."

She moved her hand from her neck and pulled her hair back in a loose bun. Before she could move, her eyes landed on the old sword leaning against the wall beside her bed. Kagome's gaze softened as she stepped closer to it. She picked it up and sat on her bed, letting it rest over her legs.

This sword, her sword.

_**Tessaiga.**_

In the weeks following Inuyasha's death, it had been entrusted in her hands. It, while greatly different from others, was her cursed gear. The demon her contract was with was none other than Inu no Taisho himself, the great Dog General of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army in past eons.

"_Eh…? Me?" Kagome's doubtful voice filled the room, and her eyes wandered to the sword resting against the wooden wall beside her. A second later, she turned her eyes back to the demon seated across from her. "I- I don't think it'll do me any good," she said then, turning her gaze to the fire between them. _

_Still, the proposition that she kept it made her heart warm. Inuyasha's recent demise was still a fresh and open wound on her. He had been her companion in this world for so long, and he had been by her side through so much. Sango and Miroku had already passed due to age, and now after losing Inuyasha, she felt a little alone. She hadn't expected him to die, not so early, but he had always been stubborn and hard-headed. Of course, he just had to get into a fight he couldn't win._

_Shippo rested beside her with his head on her lap. His long, auburn hair was free, and he nuzzled closer to her as she kept combing her fingers through the soft locks. He was getting older, too. Before long, he'd be too big for her to carry. Time was passing by, and yet… Kagome lifted her free hand and set it to her chest._

_She remained unaffected. She could remember the times she'd overhear women in modern time wishing for eternal youth, praising it as a gift. When it became apparent to her so long ago that she wasn't aging anymore, she tried to look on the bright side, that maybe she'd be able to be reunited with her family again after these few centuries passed._

_But now, she was left to watch her friends and loved ones slowly wither and die, succumbing to the hands of time one by one. This… this was no sort of gift. No, this was a curse that'd leave her trapped forever it seemed._

_Sesshoumaru watched her motions closely before shutting his eyes with a low sigh coming from him._

"_Ever since that moment, Tessaiga chose you to protect."_

"_That moment…" Kagome trailed off, confused before recalling what he meant. "Oh, right," she whispered then as that scene from way back played through her mind._

_Her removing the sword from its perch, even after both brothers failed to do so. It came loose so easily for her, yet remained stuck like it was melded with the stone when they attempted to pull it free. _

"_The blade chose you to remove it from where it remained sealed, you to hand it off to its wielder, and it chose you to defend. Since your protector is no longer in the realm of the living, the sword is yours." He looked to her and met her uncertain stare. "This is no surprise," he said then. "My father always had a fondness for humans- particularly human women."_

Kagome kept her attention on the old sword, gently running her fingers along the sheath. A soft smile lined her lips as she admired the many dents along the dark material. It looked and showed its age both on the blade and its casing.

Her cursed gear differed from the ones the others wielded due to the demon bound to it. When she first was brought here by none other than Sesshoumaru himself, she hadn't exactly been welcomed. She still wasn't accepted by most of them, but it didn't bother her. There wasn't anything any of them could do to hurt her, let alone get rid of her.

When they had first been told she had a contract with the once widely known and admired war general, they responded with doubt and skepticism. They changed their tune very soon when she graced them with his presence. Not even the most powerful figure in the Hiragi family could deny her nor the strength she had.

And so, Sesshoumaru left her there as his person on the inside the army his father once led during the age of demon's strength. Over time, as demons began to die out and humans began to claim the world as their own, the JIDA fell into the hands and leadership of the Hiragi family.

She truly doubted they understood the meaning and sentiment the army had in its history. First created by great demon generals and warlords in hopes of preserving human life. Few demons were in agreement with the army, but it never mattered. Those who led it and were a part of it were powerful in each of their own regards. They put apart all previous differences to come together and fight to preserve and protect humankind from all kinds of threats.

There are two specific types of cursed gear- willful seals and forced seals.

Willful seals are just that. In their death demons opted to seal themselves to their weapon in order to ensure their legacy of supporting and guarding humans even in death. There weren't many of this type, however, due to the abundant lack of supportive demons in the crusade of protection. Inu no Taisho was one of them, giving his life up in order for Izayoi to escape with Inuyasha and binding himself to Tessaiga when he eventually lost his life.

Forced seals were just as they sounded, too. Demons who opposed the JIDA and sought to harm and exterminate human life were forcibly sealed to weapons they used, cursed to protect and fight alongside the very beings they despised as a form of punishment, should the human be able to wield the weapon. Cursed gear with forced seals are ultimately weaker than willful seals due to the type of demons that are sealed to them. Forced seals are mostly a lot of lower-class demons, but it was the kind that had more gear.

Kagome hummed softly, breaking free from her inner musing about the JIDA and current state as she opened her eyes and let them land on the sword in her lap once more. Once again she felt that sharp ache on her neck, and she flinched under the intensity of it.

"Stupid vampire…" she hissed under her breath as that moment came flying back to the front of her mind.

If it weren't for him then things would have ended up very differently for her.

"_You have everything, right?"_

_Kagome paused in packing up her yellow bag, and she turned to spot her mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen. The younger girl blinked twice, thinking carefully over the objects she had been placing into her handy backpack. She counted on her fingers as she did so, and she soon gave her mother a smile paired with a certain nod._

"_Yup!" Kagome exclaimed as she shut the bag and hefted it over one of her shoulders. _

_The older woman pushed the overbearing feeling of worry that was present in her chest down deeper as she approached her daughter. She pressed a quick kiss to the side of her face before affectionately patting down a lock of raven hair that stuck up at an odd angle. "Be careful, and come back very soon!"_

"_I will," Kagome said as she started on her way to the door that would lead her outside. "I'll be back in a few weeks!"_

_With those words, the fifteen-year-old girl made her way to the well house. Inside she was greeted with stale air and her passageway to the past. She threw one leg over the ledge of the well as she situated herself in a sitting position. The bag was adjusted so she had a sturdy grip on it, and she set her free hand against the aged wood. Blue eyes stared down into the black abyss that hid the bottom of the well. She pushed herself forward, and, as she fell further into the well, a familiar light surrounded her. When her feet touched the bottom of the well there was an extra source of light coming from above her, and she looked up at the sky now replacing the dark shadows of the old well house. _

"_Now to get out of here…" she muttered to herself as she once again fixed her bag over her shoulder. She reached up to grab onto one of the vines decorating the sides of the well, and she gave it a couple of tugs to test its sturdiness. Once it proved to not come out so easily, she used that as a starting point as she pulled herself up and out of the well._

_She tossed the bag over first, and she heard it land on the soft grass that grew around the well. She hefted herself up next, and she let herself fall into the grass once she had made it over the ledge. One hand went to fix her skirt back into its proper position before she pushed herself back up onto her feet. She soon took hold of her bag and threw it back over one of her shoulders, and she started on her way to Kaede's village._

_It was silent as Kagome scurried along her way, each step she took caused her brown loafers to drag across the verdant foliage of the forest she trekked through. All was silent, save for the occasional puff of her own breath as she made her way back to the village from her regular trip down the well._

_She was taken a bit by surprise that Inuyasha hadn't been waiting for her when she came back, but, as that thought crossed her mind, she had to remind herself that she had decided to come back an entire day early. _

_He had been nagging them all about completing the jewel more than usual, and Kagome would rather not have to put up with him whining over the possibilities of her being late. She had even brought along some of his favorite ramen with hopes it would serve to keep him in a better mood._

_She sighed before taking a deep breath as she paused in her jog for a few seconds. Fresh, clean air filled her lungs. The taste of it was incredible, and she turned blue eyes up to stare at the crystal clear sky peeking out from the barrier of trees high above her head._

_While nothing could ever beat her home, she couldn't deny that the world of the Feudal Era was something to be marveled at. There was no chance to get air this clean in her time, and she always enjoyed her time here, no matter the hazardous creatures that lurked in every odd corner._

"_Huh… strange," she muttered to herself as she looked around her. "By now he would have caught onto my scent and come to get me." She remained standing like that for a few more seconds before she shrugged her shoulders. _

_With the completion of the jewel getting real close, it was likely that the rest had gotten a lead on a close-by shard and went to retrieve it before the situation with it got out of control. It wasn't the first time it had happened, so it wasn't something she had a hard time putting her faith in._

_She'd just head to the village and, if they weren't there, then she'd just wait for them to return._

_Mind made up, Kagome took a step with the intention of resuming on her way to the village. Before she could take another step forward, an off-feeling aura brushed against her senses, and, upon realizing it came from ahead of her, Kagome took a step back out of caution. Startled, she ended up dropping her bag to the ground, but she held off on picking it up. Instead she kept her attention focused on the strange presence._

_He appeared a second later, and Kagome was left standing and watching him carefully. If not for the fact that his eyes had been focused on her since his arrival there, and presumably even before he had made his presence known, she might not have been as concerned as she currently was._

_His hair was long and a shade close to silver. He was much taller than her, and his piercing, red eyes made her feel even smaller than she really was. His ears were elongated, the shape mimicking the same shape of Sesshoumaru's ears. Although… this person's ears were longer than the demons were. His gaze traveled over her body, and she felt as her posture stiffened out of reflex. The sudden amount of attention being placed on her felt anything but good, and it left her preparing for her next course of action._

_When he took a step towards her she took one back. She was careful to make sure she did not end up backing herself into a position she could not escape from._

_She narrowed her eyes as she watched this new figure closely. The aura around him… wasn't like anything she had experienced before. Not in this world, and not in her own._

"_Stay back!" she stated. Her caution floated in her voice. He chuckled in response, a gleam of amusement lighting up his crimson stare._

_A gust of wind whipped passed her, blowing her hair into her face and blinding her for only a moment. By the time she got her vision clear, the figure across from her was gone from the spot he previously stood. Kagome could feel him still near her, but before she could react, he appeared behind her and snatched her wrists to hold her captive._

"_Hey..!" she hissed out and squirmed in his grip. She felt his nose nudge her hair, and she heard him inhale as he dipped closer to her exposed neck._

"_Oh my, you smell absolutely divine."_

_A shiver of fear crawled up her spine, and she felt her body freeze up. His nose grazed over her pulse, his tongue trailing along and tasting the column of her neck. Kagome felt her cheeks heat up, once again trying to pull free, but his hold kept her trapped and unable to move. There was a sharp sting and prick of him biting her neck, and she squeezed her eyes shut._

_She had no control over her reaction. A small burst of her spiritual energy surrounded her at every point of contact he had with her. As if expecting it, he loosened his grip and let her go. Kagome stumbled away from him, turning when she was a few feet away._

_The punctures on her neck were slow to heal, and a trail of blood dripped down her neck to dye her collar a deep crimson. Air hit the wound, and Kagome let out a hiss, slapping a hand down on it to cover the bloody area. She attempted to ignore the sting she felt as she kept her glare level on this creature's face. _

_He didn't seem to be fazed by the shock she had given him, and he instead just casually licked the remainder of her blood from his lips. Once the rest of the red had been cleared away he continued to watch her with a calm smile on his face. A second later he was gone, leaving her standing there confused._

_She got back to the hut with the ache in her neck nearly bringing her to tears. It stung so badly, even if it had healed up. To her surprise, waiting there were her travel companions. They looked like they had just gotten back not long before her, most of them resting and recovering whatever energy they had spent._

"_Keh… what're you doing back so early?" Inuyasha huffed from where he sat. Kagome tried to ignore the pain and glared at him "I was gonna come get you tomorrow, remember?"_

_She didn't have the chance to speak before he was suddenly on his feet in front of her. Kagome nearly dropped her things in surprise as he stood a foot away from her, sniffing the air around her. _

"_You hurt?" His gruff voice was hard, but a worried undertone could be detected. He grabbed her arm and pulled her forward more, eyes catching sight of the red on her collar. No wound could be seen, just scar tissue. It didn't look like any injury she'd ever gotten before, just two identical puncture wounds as if she had gotten bitten. _

_Kagome felt her cheeks heating up at his close proximity, and she tried to take a step back to no avail. "Will you let me go already?!" Kagome squeaked, yanking her arm free from Inuyasha's grip. He let go of her arm with a huff, and she sighed as she walked around him to join Sango and Miroku around the fire, water for tea boiling over the flame._

"_Is everything okay, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, worried. "What happened on your way here?" she asked, clearly asking the same thing Inuyasha was, just not in the same way. "You have a lot of blood on your shirt.." Sango's tone deepened with concern as she got a better look at the red staining the white fabric._

_She felt eyes on her, and she sighed under her breath. "I don't really know…" she trailed off. That same pain was still in her neck, but it was slowly fading to just a dull ache. There were a lot of things she wanted to say and ask, but one question stuck out in her mind. "Are vampires a thing here?" she asked, expecting her words to create a few questions in response, but to her surprise she was met with tense silence. Kagome looked around the room to find all eyes on her. Nervous, she said, "I think one attacked me on my way here."_

"_What?" Sango's voice rose as a worried look spread across her face. Kagome nodded and rubbed her neck, still throbbing in that dulling ache. _

"_I feel fine, except for my neck where he bit me. The worst of the pain faded, though."_

_Sango's brows furrowed at hearing her explanation. "You didn't kill it, did you?" she asked, and Kagome shook her head._

"_No. He bit me and I accidentally unleashed some of my spiritual energy," she said. "I don't think it affected him, though. He just left on his own."_

"_Well, this might be a problem," Miroku mused out loud, and Kagome turned worried eyes to him._

"_What does that mean?!" she asked, worry in her voice. "I'm not gonna turn in one, am I?!"_

"_No, no, child," Kaede said, hobbling over to her to get a closer look at the mark on her neck. "You won't turn into a vampire."_

"_Then what'll happen?" Kagome asked, still worried even though she had been assured she wouldn't suddenly turn into a vampire and kill her friends._

"_It's not a common thing, but ye hear word of it happening every now and then throughout the centuries," Kaede said as she sat down with a low sigh. "Vampires attacking priestesses, and the two being bound together."_

"_Bound together?" _

"_Yes," Miroku nodded. Inuyasha looked at him and glared._

"_If you know, then spit it out already!" he snapped. "What's gonna happen to Kagome!?"_

"_Vampires who are brave enough to try and bite a priestess gain immunity to holy abilities upon drinking their blood. That is why he was able to escape Kagome when she accidentally attacked him with it." Miroku folded his arms and let out a worried sound, "but for the priestess bitten, their spiritual powers are steadily drained and fade. Trying to use them will exhaust them, and put them under grave strain. It's not an immediate thing but happens slowly over time."_

"_You're saying I'll end up losing my spiritual abilities?" Kagome asked, and Miroku nodded. _

"_You'll feel the impact as it happens. I haven't heard any stories of it being necessarily painful, however."_

"_What's this about them being bound together?" Inuyasha asked, zeroing in on what Kaede had mentioned._

"_There have been stories of priestesses being able to sense the aura of the vampire that bit them even long after their ability to do so have faded." Miroku then added, "and while I'm uncertain how true this is, I've heard tales of vampires able to feel the emotions and physical well being of the priestess they bit, even when hundreds of thousands of miles away."_

_Kagome frowned and looked at her lap. Considering her previous fear of turning into a vampire, all of this sounded like the better option, but it still didn't sound good. What happened if it affected her ability to sense the jewel shards somehow? Or what if it made her unable to defend herself? Most of her defense was her spiritual abilities… Shielding with a bow wasn't really practical, and neither was expecting everyone else to babysit her._

"_Is there anything that can be done to undo it?" Kagome asked. Her voice was soft, but still easily heard in the small room._

"_I haven't heard of any sort of remedy for this, child," Kaede said._

_She felt her heart sink as Kaede said those words. There was no undoing this? _

_As if sensing her unease, Sango set a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. Losing your spiritual energy isn't an overnight thing. We've almost completed the jewel. We'll just have to complete it before this becomes a burden for you."_

_There was a murmur of agreement from the others in the room, and Kagome nodded. "Right… You're right!" Kagome said. After the jewel is completed, then she could go home, and then she could go on without having to worry about her vanishing abilities. "We'll finish the jewel before my powers are gone!"_

"'_Bout damn time!" Inuyasha said, glad to see the others finally on board with finding the jewel as fast as possible. "We leave first thing tomorrow at sun up!"_

Kagome frowned at the memory. "I was really hopeful that things would be all okay," she said softly. A sigh chased those words.

It would have, if not or the damn jewel. The well sealed after it was completed, leaving her stuck in the past. The jewel made her its host and kept her alive and forever at the age she was when she first went down the well. Her spiritual powers faded in those years, but never really went away because of the jewel's influence. Or perhaps they had already, and now it was just the jewels power.

Shinya's statement from earlier played through her mind. He had been right. She didn't often resort to using her spiritual abilities due to how much it exhausted her. The discomfort set in much later than she remembered, the weight of fatigue settling harshly on her shoulders.

"I should get some rest…" she whispered to herself. It was late, and if she wanted to feel a little better come sunrise, she needed to sleep the exhaustion away.

Kagome stood and set Tessaiga against the wall next to her bed before slipping under the covers. She let her eyes flutter closed as sleep claimed her not long after she laid down.

* * *

It was late when she woke the next day, waking up to the sound of heavy knocking on her door. Kagome stirred and sat up slowly. Her covers slipped into her lap as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"What do you want," she cried out in irritation at being woken up before she was ready. There was a louder _**thunk**_ that told her who it was outside her door, and Kagome grimaced a second later, grumbling out an annoyed, "come in Guren."

The door swung in and nearly hit the wall as Guren stepped into her room. He saw her still in bed, and his brows rose. "You're still in bed? You sick or something?"

Kagome shook her head and looked up, eyes still adjusting to the bright light outside her window. "... 'm fine. Just tired," she murmured sleepily.

A pure smile he reserved for a select few appeared on his face as he walked over to her bed. He flicked her forehead, causing her to whine a complaint.

"Hey-!"

"Well next time don't be such a dumbass and use your spiritual powers to take out a vamp," he scolded her as he sat next to her. Kagome fell silent, peeking up from her bangs to look at him.

"... You knew?"

"Not at first," he admitted. "Yu found me after and started asking me all sorts of things like how you made the pink sparkly arrow."

Kagome tried to stifle a laugh. She knew she shouldn't laugh when using her spiritual energy had bad effects on her now, but she couldn't help it. She felt Guren glare at her, and she giggled. "Of course he did," she murmured softly. "He sees a vampire get disintegrated and he automatically wants to know how to do it."

Guren shook his head. "I don't want to deal with him trying to find out how to give himself spiritual energy, so no more," he grumbled.

Kagome nodded, deciding not to tease him or rile him up. He didn't know how to take a joke when it came to her health or well being. "Okay, okay, no more, Guren-nii~" she sang softly.

"Don't call me that," he grunted, rubbing his face with his hand.

Kagome felt a frown appear on her face, and she looked away to hide it. "Sorry…" she whispered. "Sometimes you just act like such a brother it slips out without meaning to say it."

Guren looked at her, but she kept her attention away from him. He was about to say something but held his tongue before it could slip free.

It took some time for him to get used to it. Seeing her stay the same age was hard to process sometimes. It'd been years already since she showed up in that silver-haired demon's company, sword strapped to her hip. She was quiet, no trace of a smile on her face like she used to have.

"_Of course she wouldn't be smiling."_ A bitter thought ran through his mind. "_The only family she knew was gone in the apocalypse."_

He tried to remain impassive as ever as she introduced herself, silencing the demon before he could say a word about her. Nothing she said was taken seriously by the Hiragi family, but it didn't disparage her. Instead, she took the sword and summoned the demon of it with a single plea.

"_Come on, Toga-san," Kagome hummed softly, and suddenly the air in the room became freezing. It became suffocating as a sheer, ice-blue silhouette rose to loom behind her. The great dog general of ancient times loomed over her as if protecting her from scrutiny and physical harm._

_His clawed hand rested on the top of her head as if he was a proud father showing off his pride and joy. _

_The demon with her looked pleased upon seeing the fearful and startled faces as everyone got a wave at the power coming from where she stood. _

"_The weight of your word means nothing to me," Sesshoumaru said, his cold voice calling Kagome's attention, along with everyone else's in the room. "Looking in this room, I doubt I'll ever understand my father's desire to protect and preserve humankind," he continued, not bothering to hide the disgust he spoke with. "Kagome's power supersedes all of yours. If you wish to deny her, then you must beat her. __There were no claims of being able to surpass her, and Sesshoumaru chuckled humorlessly. "Then again, none of you stand a chance against her and the sword that can kill a hundred in a single stroke."_

_Kagome smiled once he fell silent. "Please take good care of me~" she sang, her tone teasing the now-silent figures who had been insulting her mere moments ago._

Guren closed his eyes as that memory steadily faded. She still wasn't looking at him, but he felt her slump back against him. He heard her shallow breaths and he realized she'd fallen asleep again. Guren shook his head and carefully laid her back down in bed, covering her up as well before he left for the door.

He stopped before opening the door, turning back to eye her sleeping form.

The family she knew had been killed in the apocalypse. He decided she didn't need to know the truth because it'd only hurt her more.

"You deserve a better brother than me, Kagome."

He left after saying those words to her sleeping body, tugging the curtains down to dim the room some so she could rest easier.

* * *

C.R: I was asked about Kagome's relationship to Guren, and it dawned on me that I didn't specify it in the last AN.

To answer that, Kagome and Guren are siblings, but Kagome didn't meet Guren until she was 10-11 years old. Guren was 15 at the time. (Where he went to the shrine and introduced himself as a family friend.)  
Kagome doesn't know the truth, and merely sees Guren as a friend. She was given to the Higurashi family to raise when she was a few months old. (For reasons that will be revealed later.) Guren knows, being about 4 or 5 when she was born, but he keeps it hidden for her sake. Due to her trust in him, he knows almost everything about her.

Hopefully that clears it up.

And after getting some feedback on the pairing and thinking a little bit more on it, I'll stick to having it Ferid and Kagome, and just have pining/crushes as minor things.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the update! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not, sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~


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